RESOURCE
AVID
“If they come from a first-generation
college student family, they don’t have
anyone at home explaining how college
works and why they have to take
Algebra 1. That’s what we do.”
—John Murphy, AVID Teacher
AVID is not just about curriculum
and instruction; it is a way of
thinking. AVID teachers believe
their students can learn and monitor
student progress very closely. Teachers
provide motivational activities that
help students set personal goals,
and achieve them.
—Gail Wright, Director,
AVID North Coast Regional Center
About this publication
March 2005—This is the third in a series of publications focusing on effective
instruction for all students, especially the English Learners in your classrooms. The
topic of this brief is AVID, Advancement Via Individual Determination, a program
that has had exceptional success with the Latino student population.
AVID is a program that helps students historically underrepresented in college
succeed in rigorous academic classes and gain entrance to state and private universities.
The data collected over the last 25 years demonstrates that this program can achieve
remarkable results! Minority students, English Learners, and others who are first-in-thefamily to extend their education beyond high school say that AVID helped them form
and fulfill college dreams.
Incidently, this program is not just a high school initiative. AVID methodologies can
be applied in grades 5-12. What makes AVID so successful is its distinct combination of
effective research-based strategies, but there are aspects of AVID that all teachers may
find helpful as they design and deliver instructional programs for English Learners.
A fundamental part of AVID is its emphasis on writing, inquiry, collaboration, and
reading. Developing organizational skills is another aspect, including specific instruction
on note-taking. Tutorials provide individualized assistance when students need it, and
all AVID tutors are trained to help students develop higher level thinking skills. (The Levels
of Questioning developed by Benjamin Bloom is one frequently used strategy.)
But AVID is not just about curriculum and instruction;
it is a way of thinking. AVID teachers believe their students
Bloom’s Levels of Questioning build
students’ higher level thinking skills
◆
◆
◆
◆
◆
◆
Knowledge, recalling information
Sample: What facts do you know?
can learn and monitor student progress very closely. Teachers
provide motivational activities that help students set personal
goals, and achieve them. At the middle and high school levels,
AVID teachers establish site teams, so that students are supported
Comprehension, understanding meaning
What are you being asked to find?
and encouraged by their content area teachers, counselors, the
Application, using learning in new situations
What would happen if …?
often work together to incorporate AVID strategies into daily
Analysis, seeing parts and relationships
Compare and contrast ___ to ___
Synthesis, creating a new whole from parts
Write a new ending to a story
Evaluation, judging based on criteria
How can you tell if your analysis
is reasonable?
AVID teacher, and the principal. In elementary schools, teachers
instruction, then meet regularly to review student progress.
It’s no surprise that English Learners thrive in this type
of instructional setting. As you read about the Del Norte High
School program, you’ll see the strong connection these AVID
teachers have with their students. I hope their experiences and
the information about AVID methodologies included in this
publication pique your interest in this exceptional program.
—Gail Wright, Director, AVID North Coast Regional Center
CLOSING
THE
ACHIEVEMENT GAP
FOR
ENGLISH LEARNERS
Del Norte High School’s AVID Program
A presentation by
John Murphy, Alison Eckart, and Randy Fugate
Teachers at Del Norte High School
School profile
DNHS
%
Number
State
AVID
%
State
Overall
%
Applied to 4-year college
100
23
80
NA
Accepted to 4-year college
100
23
---
---
Accepted by UC
24
5
24
7.5
Accepted by CSU
100
23
61
10.7
Attended 4-year college
87
20
77
20.5
2003-04 AVID S ENIORS
Del Norte High School (DNHS) is located in a
rural area on the North Coast of California, almost
to the Oregon border. The high school has about
1,200 students. Approximately 64% of the students
are on free and reduced lunch. DNHS has been
successful in testing 95% of its EL students, and the
results are excellent. Sixty-one percent of the EL students passed the math portion of the exam and 84%
passed the English Language Arts portion. These
“We’ve been doing AVID
results are extremely high
for nine years. It did not
compared to the statewide
get off to a terrific start
percentages. Del Norte’s
that first year, but we stuck
EL student scores rank
with it and have become
among the top three high
very successful. All 23 of
schools in the North
last year’s seniors were
Coast region—and the
accepted to four-year
other two schools do not
colleges, and 20 students
serve a student population
actually attended. Ten of
that is 64% free and rethese students are Hmong,
duced lunch and highly
the largest immigrant group
immigrant.
in Del Norte County. All
DNHS began implethe Hmong students were
menting the AVID program nine years ago as a
non-English speaking when
way of preparing their trathey entered kindergarten.”
ditionally underserved
—John Murphy,
students for entry into
AVID teacher
four-year colleges. The
following is a summary of
how three AVID teachers describe their use of the AVID
program to close the achievement gap for low socioeconomic
students as well as for second language learners.
AVID success: the numbers tell the story
Of the total population of 226 seniors at DNHS, 77
completed the “a-g” requirement. That is over 30%. It is
significant that 21 of the 77 were AVID students, so the
program is having a big impact.
As the chart shows, in 2003-2004, we had 23 graduating seniors and of that number, 20 actually went to a four-
year college. All of them applied and all were accepted—five
by UC and all by CSU.
In 2002-2003, we had 14 in the cohort and 10 went to
four-year colleges—again, a pretty high percentage. The year
before that, in 2001-2002, we had 20 students in the cohort
and all of them
were accepted to a
NOTE: Statewide, 34% of
four-year college.
graduating seniors complete college
We don’t forpreparation classes, known as the
mally keep track of
“a-g” requirements. These classes
the students after
are required to gain admission into
they leave high
CSU or UC campuses. Nationschool, but actuwide, 42% of graduating seniors
ally, they follow us
attend four-year colleges.
through college.
They email us with questions and they come back for recommendations.
This success is really exciting for us. The whole purpose
of the program is to have these kids experience academic
success, both by getting into four-year colleges and by seeing
themselves as achievers, as lifelong learners.
What makes the program so successful is the rapport the
teachers develop with the students. They know we care and
that we’re trying to help them get into college. That’s key.
The other key is simply the cultural acceptance. Institutionalization of this program has occurred at Del Norte High
School.
Who are the AVID students?
The following table shows the ethnicity of both the total student population at Del Norte High School and the
AVID students.
The most striking fact is the disproportionate represen-
CLOSING
THE
ACHIEVEMENT GAP
FOR
ENGLISH LEARNERS
ESL class and the academic literacy class to address the language issues, we take them. Like
African
Asian
Native
Hispanic Filipino/ White
Total
everyone else, they need to take
American
American
Pacific Is.
Population
the “a-g” college prep classes.
Del Norte
3%
2%
5.5%
11%
1.5%
77%
29,390
We have current AVID stuCounty
dents talk to 8th graders. We send
DNHS
0.6%
7.2%
12%
9.8%
.8%
69.6%
1,219
information to all parents and
we bring in students who can
AVID
0%
39%
12%
3%
0%
47%
111
speak Hmong and Spanish, so
tation of Asian students in AVID (39%) compared to their
the kids can be talking to other kids. We also talk with the
percentage of the student population (7.2%). Another no8th grade teachers, and get their recommendations. We do
ticeable discrepancy is
this before the 8th graders register so they can arrange their
between the Hispanic
electives and there are no conflicts. One of the problems
“In their freshman
population at the high
with offering one
year, the push for
school (9.8%) and their
AVID class at each
NOTE: There are many ways to offer
going to a fourrepresentation in the
level is that there is
AVID electives in a school’s master
year college is still
AVID program (3%).
only one period of
schedule. Some schools combine
just an idea for
The representation of the
the day it can be
grades 9/10 and grades 11/12.
Native American stumany of the AVID
taken.
dents in AVID (12%)
students. It really
We look at math and reading scores, but the ultimate
corresponds to the school
begins to mean
criterion is that students have to want to be there. The propopulation.
something—it
gram is voluntary. It is not remedial or for at-risk students.
For whatever reason,
becomes more
It is a college prep course. That’s a powerful message, and it
the
Hmong
community
is slowly becoming the common perception among students
real for them—in
immediately saw AVID
and teachers. We feel that it is important that, as AVID teachtheir sophomore
as an opportunity and
ers, we make the decision about who comes into the
year. The students
they have been taking adprogram—not the counselor. Students now have the expectalk to the juniors
vantage of it. This is
tation that AVID will help them go to college. They have
and seniors and
largely a first-generation
seen this happen for
see that it’s
immigrant population.
other students.
happening for
NOTE: Recruitment is key to
The parents want someWe’v e t a k e n
them.”
creating a successful AVID program.
thing better for their kids,
some kids in the past
—Randy Fugate,
Many schools identify students
and they demand that
who were not recAVID teacher
using GPA, test scores and teacher
they go to school, that
ommended by their
recommendations. After potential
they behave, and that
teachers, or whose
candidates are identified, they
they succeed. We currently have the siblings of previous
families didn’t want
are interviewed by teachers to
graduates in the program.
them to be in the
determine whether they have a
program. We look at
desire to prepare for college. The
How do we recruit students for AVID?
GPA and test scores,
student interviews can be the most
The AVID program is based on the belief that there is a
but they are not the
important factor in creating a
group of kids who have been historically underrepresented
main factor. We
successful class.
in college prep classes because of income, ethnicity, language,
don’t care so much
or lack of support from home. They will be the first generaabout the data as we
tion to attend college in their families. These students enroll
do about the student’s desire to go to college.
in the “a-g” college classes, and we give them a lot of support
We’ve gotten better at student selection over the years.
so they are successful. When we recruit students for the proIn the first year, the students that we recruited were more atgram, we are looking for students with a 2.5 or 3.0 grade
risk students who were lucky if they made it through high
point average who will excel with some support.
school. So we had some problems with that and we had to
We take English Learners in the program. We don’t turn
start modifying our recruitment and selection process.
them away because of language. If they are willing to do the
AVID S TUDENTS
CLOSING
THE
ACHIEVEMENT GAP
Meeting the needs of
English Language Learners
We have two ESL classes: one for freshmen/sophomores,
and one for juniors/seniors. We do not offer non-college
English at our school. Also, we have adopted an academic
literacy program at our high school. Any 8th grader who scores
in the lowest 25th percentile is
automatically enrolled in this
“We tell them,
program. Are these really AVID
‘You can do this,
students? We say, “Yes.” They stay
and we are here
in academic literacy until the readto help you do it.’
ing specialist says they have atIf they come from
tained a level that’s only one grade
a first-generation
level below where they should be.
college student
Then they go back into a regular
family, they don’t
elective course. Since they are in
have anyone at
AVID, we keep working with
home explaining
them because they have to meet
how college
the “a-g” requirements. We are
works and why
hopeful that the academic literacy
they have to take
program will help address their
Algebra 1. That’s
issues around reading and language.
what we do.”
—John Murphy,
We provide tutorial support
AVID teacher
and supplemental curriculum support. This is particularly important for the Hmong students. They are not used to conjugating verbs so they need extra help with that. Other types
of support are also needed. For example, in the Hmong community, girls are not usually encouraged to go to college. We
tell them to go ahead and apply. When they are accepted
and get financial aid, then it becomes okay for them to go to
college.
It’s important to keep encouraging them to be successful, and it works because that’s what they need—someone
to be there believing in them and supporting them. Because
of this consistency and attention, something happens that is
sort of like family. The kids get to know each other, everyone gets comfortable, and the students feel free to ask a question or to speak their mind. And they start looking after
each other.
Program structure and content
When you go to the AVID institute in the first year of
training, the AVID curriculum is presented as the way to do
the program. But in reality, there may be some things about
your student population that require modifications. We have
modified the program but we meet the criteria to be an AVID
demonstration school.
AVID is an elective at the high school, and it is also an
FOR
ENGLISH LEARNERS
elective for 7th and 8th graders at our large middle school. At
the high school, it is a problem that freshmen have only two
electives. If they choose AVID, it leaves only one. As they
advance from the 8th grade AVID program, we’ve been
encouraging our entering freshmen to take the computer
technology requirement in summer school to open up their
schedules a bit.
The amazing thing is that despite all of that, our numbers are growing. In the first year of the program, we started
with 24 students and by the time we got to senior year we
were down to 14. Last year’s graduating class was 23. This
year’s senior class is 26.
Our program has become institutionalized. There is a
growing number of kids who perceive AVID as an incredible opportunity and are taking advantage of the opportunity without a whole lot of encouragement. That is the individual determination part.
For further information about the Del Norte High
School AVID program, contact Jan Moorehouse, principal,
707-464-0260.
S ONOMA V ALLEY H IGH S CHOOL
Sonoma Valley High School is a new AVID
site begun in fall 2004. The school is located in
the city of Sonoma, a small rural-suburban town.
SVHS enrollment is 1,600, with 70% White and
26% Latino. Teacher Tammy Rivera put time upfront recruiting her first AVID class. In the spring,
she and the counseling staff screened the
freshman class based on GPA and test scores,
looking for “kids in the middle.” She sent notices
out to 80 families asking if students would be
interested in learning more about the AVID
college preparation elective. The school set up a
parent/student introductory meeting, accepted
applications, and conducted interviews. Tammy
was looking for students who were willing to
work hard and had the goal to attend college.
Tammy also recruited AP students to work as
tutors. SVHS began its AVID program in the fall
with a class of sophomores. Next year, SVHS
hopes to recruit at the middle schools during
the spring in order to create an incoming
freshman class.
For further information about the Sonoma
Valley High School AVID program, contact
Roberto Castro, principal, 707-933-4010.
CLOSING
THE
ACHIEVEMENT GAP
FOR
ENGLISH LEARNERS
C LEAR L AKE H IGH S CHOOL
Clear Lake High School is located in Lakeport, California, 120 miles north of San Francisco. The school has a
current enrollment of 470 students, 36.5% of whom are on free and reduced lunch. The AVID program was started in
2001 and presently offers three AVID sections to a total of 66 students. AVID is taken very seriously at CLHS in order
to motivate more students to enter college than might be expected. This preparation of the AVID student can begin as
early as middle school. At Terrace Middle School, the middle level feeder school, students learn to monitor GPAs, take
Cornell Notes, use agendas and binders, and get organized. These skills help build self-esteem and confidence and
prepare the students for a challenging high school experience where they will be expected to complete college
preparation classes, or the “a-g” requirements.
AVID students have a demanding schedule because they are expected to take college preparatory classes and AP
classes in their junior and senior years. They must maintain good grades and strive to become well-rounded students
by participating in extra-curricular activities.
Because of this philosophy, AVID programs across the state are highly regarded by the CSU and UC university
systems. Students who have participated in AVID are often accepted over non-AVID students, because admission
officials know these students have been well prepared to succeed in college.
This year in June 2005, CLHS will graduate its first set of seniors who have taken AVID all four years of high
school. The AVID teacher is confident that 80% of his seniors will apply and be accepted to four-year colleges. One
student, he is proud to report, who came to the U.S. as a 5th grader from Mexico is even applying to Stanford.
CLHS is a National Certified AVID school. This certification ensures that the school has met all of the AVID
program essentials. These essentials include: recruitment of students; training of tutors; curriculum that focuses on
writing, inquiry, and collaboration; and a commitment by the administration to support the program within the master
schedule and with funding. The AVID teachers believe that one of the most important aspects of their program is that
teachers, staff, students, and parents all “choose to participate.” CLHS has done an exemplary job of expanding the
AVID program over the past three years.
For more information about the Clear Lake High School AVID program, contact Steve Gentry, principal,
707-262-3010.
For more information about all the elements that make up an AVID program please go to www.scoe.org/avid or www.avidonline.org
Gail Wright, AVID Regional Director, 707-524-2805
Annette Murray, AVID Regional Coordinator, 707-524-2817
This presentation was part of the 13th Annual Administrator Conference “Closing the Achievement Gap for EL Students”
presented at the Sonoma County Office of Education in April 2004. Publication support was provided by the
California Department of Education: Regional Support Plan for High Schools
AVID Regional Director: Gail Wright ❚ AVID Regional Coordinator: Annette Murray ❚ Editor: Carol Lingman
Why AVID works
S ONOMA C OUNTY SCHOOLS
WITH AVID PROGRAMS
◆
AVID accelerates underachieving students into more rigorous courses
instead of putting them in dead-end remedial programs.
◆
Students receive the intensive support they need to succeed in tough
academic classes.
◆
Socratic methods (teaching by asking rather than telling) and study
groups specifically target the needs of underachieving students.
◆
The role of the teacher is redefined from lecturer to advocate and guide.
Counselors become facilitators rather than gatekeepers.
◆
The program changes the belief system of entire schools by showing that
low-income and minority students can achieve at the highest levels.
◆
AVID strategies are based on research about tracking and peer influences
on student achievement.
Writing, inquiry, collaboration, and reading (WIC-R) form the basis of the
AVID curriculum. These methodologies can be used in an elective period or
incorporated into the daily schedule—or they can be applied schoolwide—
to supplement and support students’ participation in rigorous academic classes.
AVID methodologies are also excellent for supporting English Learners, who
benefit from the WIC-R emphasis and the program’s focus on organization
and note-taking (see back page).
W
WRITING
Promotes clear thinking,
effective learning, and
long-term academic success
C
I
INQUIRY METHOD
Immediately engages students
in their own thinking processes
COLLABORATION
Brings students together to take
responsibility for their own learning,
serve as sources of information for
each other, and provide feedback
R
READING
Gives students the opportunity
to handle increasingly difficult
texts so they can achieve high
standards across the curriculum
AVID
AVID
47%
Top
States
30%
Eighth-graders taking algebra
Students who take algebra in
eighth grade are prepared for more
advanced coursework in math and
science once they reach high school.
They are also more likely to attend
college. AVID encourages its middle
school students to pursue collegepreparatory coursework such as
algebra—and they complete it
at an impressive rate.
98%
National
70%
High school graduation rates
What makes AVID students stay in
school when others drop out? The
support they receive, the commitment
to success they feel, the inspirational
teachers they encounter, the selfdetermination they exercise—all these
factors combine to make them persevere
despite considerable challenges.
Middle Schools
Brook Haven Middle
Cali Calmécac Charter
Comstock Middle
Cook Middle
Healdsburg Junior High
Roseland Accelerated Middle
Twin Hills Middle
Windsor Middle
High Schools
Analy High
Elsie Allen High
Healdsburg High
Roseland University Prep
Sonoma Valley High
Windsor High
S CHOOLWIDE AVID
Roseland University Prep
opened its doors in southwest
Santa Rosa last fall with a
founding class of 80 ninthgraders, 90% of whom come
from minority communities.
Prior to the start of the school
year, principal Amy JonesKerr and the school’s three
teachers attended AVID’s
summer institute with the
goal of creating one AVID
class at their new school.
After spending the week
talking to other teachers and
staff developers, they decided
to expand their thinking and
take AVID schoolwide. The
school now has three sections
of AVID and Sonoma State
University has formed a
special partnership with the
school, guaranteeing SSU
admittance to every Roseland
University Prep graduate who
completes college entrance
requirements.
Note-taking: a success strategy
◆
Put loose-leaf paper into a binder.
◆
Add rules to each page as illustrated
in the diagram at right.
During class, students record notes
on the right-hand side of the paper.
AVID Center
www.avidonline.org
AVID North Coast Regional
Center www.scoe.org/avid
▼
▼
Cue Column
First, students prepare note-taking
paper and binders.
▼
▼
Researcher Robert Marzano has identified note-taking as one of nine
instructional strategies with the greatest potential for positively impacting
student achievement. That’s because note-taking requires students to stay
alert, helps them become engaged in lectures and readings, gives them a
resource for actively contributing to group discussions, and provides them
with study guides for tests.
AVID teaches its students the
2.5"
6"
Cornell Note-Taking System (described
below), which provides a framework
for students to process, refine, and
remember information.
W EBSITES FOR
F URTHER S TUDY
Note-Taking Area
▼
2"
Summaries
▼
◆
Write notes in paragraphs, skipping lines to separate information logically.
◆
Don’t force an outlining system, but do use any obvious numbering.
◆
Strive to get the main ideas down rather than details and examples.
◆
Use abbreviations for extra writing and listening time.
◆
Use pictures or drawings when they’re helpful.
P ROFESSIONAL D EVELOPMENT
AVID Summer Institutes
July 18-22, 2005 in Sacramento
August 1-5, 2005 in San Diego
Information: www.avidonline.org
Site Presentations
The AVID North Coast Regional
Center staff is available to visit
school sites interested in finding
out more about the program
and methodologies. Contact
Gail Wright, [email protected]
or (707) 522-3209.
P UBLICATIONS
◆
Write questions in the left-hand “cue column.”
◆
Check or correct incomplete items; expand on the notes that are too sketchy.
◆
Read the notes and underline key words and phrases.
◆
Read underlined words and write recall cues in the left-hand column.
Write Path: English Language
Development is a curriculum
series designed to teach critical
reading and writing strategies to
grade 7-12 English Learners. It
can be effectively used at schools
with or without AVID programs.
◆
Sum up each page by writing a sentence or two at the bottom of the sheet.
Available at www.avidonline.org
◆
If possible, compare notes with a study buddy.
After class, students refine their notes.
Students recite their notes in three ways.
◆
Cover up the right side of the page, read the questions, and recite information as fully as possible. Uncover the sheet and verify information frequently.
◆
Reflect on the organization of the lecture or reading. Overlap the pages to
cover the notes section and read the recall cues in the left column. Study the
progression of the information. This will stimulate relationships, inferences,
and personal opinions. Write down all of these insights!
◆
Review by reciting, reflecting, and reading insights.
The process in brief: Record, refine, recite, reflect, and review.
A few reminders: Verbatim note-taking is not effective; notes should be
considered works-in-progress; the more notes that are taken, the better.
Student Success Path introduces
students to writing, inquiry,
and collaboration, with a special
emphasis on binder organization,
note-taking, and time management. Teacher and student
guides are available for the upper
elementary, middle school, and
high school levels. The series is
appropriate for schools with or
without AVID programs.
Available at www.avidonline.org